Construction, EU – Baltic States, Forum, Latvia, Real Estate

The ministry's representative Elita Rubesa-Voravko explained that the Economy Ministry has received information from the event's organizers that the pavilion cannot be taken down until the end of the fair.

"According to the agreement, Latvia will have to bring the pavilion's place to its former shape until May 2016," the ministry's representative said.

The Economy Ministry declined to reveal how much it would cost, but previous forecasts indicate that the figure could be about EUR 235,642. The ministry will have to announce specific estimates by May this year.

As reported, the government decided on January 27 that Latvia will not participate in "World Expo 2015" in Milan this year.

Latvia has taken part in the fair three times so far – in 1935 in Brussels, Belgium, in 2000 in Hanover, Germany, and in 2010 in Shanghai, China.

The last two exhibitions did not go smoothly for Latvia. The Hanover fair criticized Latvia for poorly prepared pavilion, whereas the Shanghai pavilion was finished at the last minute, furthermore, Latvian Investment and Development Agency accused Aerodium, the company that built Latvia's pavilion, of fraud, whereas Aerodium claimed that the agency's head Andris Ozols had demanded a bribe from the company.